Bundesliga Daily Report - 2026-10-28: Bayern crush Magdeburg as Kompany continues recovery

Bayern Munich beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the DFB-Pokal second round on Wednesday, 28 October. Aaron Danks again took charge with Vincent Kompany recovering at home after collapsing during training last Friday and being treated for meningeal irritation. Michael Olise opened the scoring before Mateusz Zukowski’s deflected equaliser, but Ismael Saibari quickly restored Bayern’s advantage. Olise added a Panenka penalty after half-time, while Alphonso Davies scored and then created another for Nathaniel Brown. David Santos completed the rout in stoppage time, with Harry Kane remaining an unused substitute.

The result followed Bayern’s 3-1 Bundesliga victory at Freiburg and kept the holders’ cup defence on course, despite the continued absence of their head coach. Kompany was not expected to return for Saturday’s meeting with Borussia Dortmund, meaning Danks remained in line to oversee preparations for the league leaders’ most demanding fixture so far. Joshua Kimmich was also missing following the death of his father, while Kane’s rest suggested Bayern could manage their resources without risking their Ballon d’Or-winning striker in a tie they controlled comfortably after Saibari’s second goal.

Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory on Monday was followed on Wednesday by renewed confidence that he will extend his Bayern Munich contract. Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen called the striker a deserving winner, highlighting his goals, assists and character, while former Bayern great Lothar Matthaeus said the honour would help persuade Kane to remain in Munich. Kane became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001 and the first Bayern player to claim it since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981. His 2025-26 season included 61 goals in 51 Bayern appearances.

Khel Now reported that Bayern and Kane had resolved the final issues in negotiations and that a new contract through mid-2029 was expected, although the report attributed the development to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Matthaeus argued that Kane had found “his peace in Munich and the right club with the right teammates”, while Dreesen described him as a role model beyond football. A longer agreement would secure Bayern’s central attacking figure beyond the current deal, which is due to expire in mid-2027, and would give the club a major lift after his most decorated season in Germany.

Borussia Dortmund beat Werder Bremen 3-2 on Tuesday night to reach the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals. Serhou Guirassy and Carney Chukwuemeka gave Dortmund a two-goal lead inside the opening 17 minutes, but former BVB striker Niclas Füllkrug scored twice after half-time to bring Werder level. Marcel Sabitzer then settled the tie with a direct free-kick in the third minute of stoppage time. The victory maintained Dortmund’s progress in the competition and set up a dramatic conclusion to a fixture that appeared to be under control before Bremen’s second-half response.

Niko Kovac said the decisive goal followed a touchline instruction that overruled conflicting advice from Dortmund players. Nico Schlotterbeck had reportedly told Sabitzer to cross, but Kovac shouted for him to shoot because of the midfielder’s ability from distance. Sabitzer listened and took responsibility, a decision that spared Dortmund extra time and preserved their momentum before Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with Bayern Munich. Dortmund entered that match level on points with the league leaders, while managing director Lars Ricken defended Kovac’s pragmatic approach and said the team had become an uncomfortable opponent for every side.

SC Freiburg beat Wolfsburg 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the next round of the DFB-Pokal, with Keisuke Goto scoring twice from the bench. Freiburg led through Igor Matanović before Kento Shiogai turned the match around with two goals for the visitors, including a header shortly before half-time. Goto equalised with a header from Vincenzo Grifo’s 76th-minute corner and completed the comeback in stoppage time after collecting Philipp Lienhart’s long pass. The 21-year-old needed only 23 minutes to change the contest, producing two goals from three shots and just eight touches.

The victory ended a run of three defeats across all competitions and offered Julian Schuster’s side a badly needed response after losses to Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco and Bayern Munich. Goto’s impact strengthened his growing reputation as Freiburg’s late-match specialist after he had also scored the winner against Schalke earlier this month. Christian Günter and Schuster praised the Japanese forward after the match, while Matthias Ginter and Matanović stressed the importance of avoiding another setback. Freiburg’s reward was progress in the cup and renewed confidence after an increasingly difficult sequence.

Bayern Munich and Ajax will play the inaugural match at Nairobi’s Raila Odinga International Stadium on 5 January 2027, the clubs confirmed on Wednesday. The friendly will open the 60,000-capacity venue, also known as Talanta Sports Stadium, ahead of Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Bayern will make their first visit to Kenya for the fixture, which was announced by President William Ruto. The two clubs have won 10 European Cups or Champions League titles between them, giving the new stadium a high-profile opening event.

Ajax described the invitation as an honour and said the match would be their final warm-up before the second half of the Dutch season. Bayern’s appearance falls during the Bundesliga winter break, allowing the German champions to undertake the Nairobi visit without disrupting league fixtures. The game will provide an international showcase for the stadium and for Kenya’s wider tournament preparations, while offering Bayern an opportunity to deepen its presence in a new football market. The clubs’ confirmation moved the fixture beyond an initial presidential announcement and established the date as part of both teams’ schedules.